Seeda Concrete Green Ziplock
In addition to the starting seeds using a you can also start your seeds using the 'Baggie Method.' Starting from seed using the Baggie Method is a simpler and perhaps cheaper alternative to making your own mini-greenhouses. You won't need soil or containers to start with, what you will need is a plastic sandwich bag (reusable) and some paper towels.
From experience I'd recommend using the thickest paper towel you can afford, I suppose you could also use newsprint but only the black and white section of your newspaper. Instead of throwing away those paper towels you may use to dry your hands- set them aside and use them with this method.This method is really simple; take your paper towel and fold it so that it will fit inside your sandwich bag and moisten it (if it's dry) either with a little running water or a spray bottle. You don't want the paper towel to be soaking wet only nice and moist. Then place your seed(s) inside the paper towel and place inside your sandwich bag and set it somewhere warm away from direct sunlight.After a few days you should have results similar to the image above.
Bonsai Moss For Sale
I used the baggie method to start seeds from an orange I ate because I have a hard time tossing any seeds I come across. I just followed the simple steps and I set it near a heating vent. In the winter I use the heating vent in my bedroom similar to how one would use a propagation mat because if the heats running I might as well use it to grow something.While I use this method to start a lot of 'tropical' seeds I have used it to start seeds from things like; Hollyhocks, Morning Glories, Alliums, Hibiscus Syriacus, Cacti to name a few.Back in elementary school we used a method just like this to start seeds for a class but we used an empty pickle jar, in place of the sandwich bag, that we set atop the refrigerator. I've recently tried germinating seeds on top of the fridge and I have very poor results.
I think the reason for my poor results is the energy efficient advancements in home appliances, the top of the fridge just didn't get as warm as the old one used to. Oh well.Check the link on the right hand side of this blog for the best seed germination data base I have ever come across.
Last year, I started onion seeds indoors for the first time. They transplanted nicely, and I was able to harvest a few dozen small onion bulbs, but I really didn’t start them in the most efficient manner.
So, I wanted to update you on a better way to go about.In my first tutorial, I showed you. I guess I imagined the bulb growing in there, and I didn’t want to crowd each seedling.But ahem it doesn’t exactly work like that. It takes MONTHS before a bulb forms! So, it’s actually quite alright to crowd them in the beginning.With this knowledge tucked firmly under my belt, I was a little smarter this year, and broadcast planted my seeds in a tray. Onion seedlings are super tiny, so all you have to do is sprinkle them over the surface of some wet seed starting mix, cover them with a very fine layer of more seed starting mix, and water with just enough water to wet the top again.To help the seeds germinate, I either use a salvaged deli tray with a lid, or I put my trays or cups in an open ziploc bag to create a little greenhouse and to help lock the moisture in. Then I place them on top of my fridge for a few days, checking every day for growth. Once the seedlings emerge, I put them under a shop light, about 2-3 inches from the bulbs.Here’s my whole setup.
I keep them in a tray with a little water for the seedlings to soak up. It’s very important the soil doesn’t dry out, and bottom watering is much better than trying to sprinkle them from above and disturbing the soil and roots. These are some red onions I started 8 days ago.
( Thanks SJ!)I’ll try to remember to direct sow some this year as well, and see how they do.Do you start onions from seed? Have any pointers you can share?! I start my onion seeds according to your second directions and have had very good luck with them. They do take quite awhile to form bulbs. The last couple of years I have purchased the onion sets from the hardware store, since I didn’t have my new seed starting set up done.
This year I plan to start my own seeds again, and onions are one of the crops I want to start myself. You have so many more choices as to variety, rather than just red, yellow or white!Thanks for the reminder that I need to get moving on my set up 🙂.